The Pooch of Camelot
by LNicol1990
Summary: Nimueh has a bad sense of humour...
1. Prologue

Author's note: I know that this is probably going to be a fairly obvious plot, but I hope to have some fun with this. I've been writing some pretty despairing stuff, and I'm in the mood for something more light-hearted. This is rated teen due to implications that are in the first chapter and will be in one of the last chapters.

* * *

_Prologue_

_Present..._

Uther watched silently as a group of four entered the courtyard. Three, he easily recognised. One was his ward, Morgana; another was her handmaiden, Guinevere, or Gwen to his ward and the girl's friends; and the third was his son's manservant, Merlin. As inept as he might be, the young man had proven to be exceptionally loyal to his son.

Then, his attention turned to the fourth individual. This person was slightly taller than Morgana and about of equal height to Merlin. But, as to the id entity of this person, Uther was at a loss. However, he did notice that this person was wearing Morgana's cloak, using the hood to obscure their face. This person obviously did not want to reveal their identity.

Finally, the group slowed and stopped before the king. Their faces were easier to see closer up, and their expression were most peculiar to the king.

Gwen was refusing to meet anyone's eye; her face was a bright blush with what Uther assumed was embarrassment. Morgana was also a fairly red colour, though she seemed to be withholding something. By the erratic twitching of her lips, Uther guessed that she was stopping herself from smiling, or laughing, or both. Both women seemed intent on avoiding the cloaked individual.

Merlin, however, was standing, albeit uncomfortably, beside the person. He would glance fleeting to the person before averting his eyes.

"Who is this?" Uther demanded, he was in no mood for games.

The cloaked person shifted uncomfortably. As Morgana moved to lower the hood, the person raised a hand to stop her. Morgana bit her lip, but moved back. The person's shoulder's sagged slightly, before straightening. As the person removed the hood, Arthur's golden head appeared.

Uther wasn't sure what was most surprising: Arthur's expression of great discomfort, or the fact that he was wearing Morgana's cloak for some reason. However, when the prince shifted uncomfortably, Uther noticed that his son was not wearing a shirt. As if some unknown power had taken control of the king's eyes, Uther's eyes raked his son's appearance, noting the lack of shirt, and then realising that his son was...

Uther's face dropped from an expression of confusion to of pure shock. He shot Morgana's handmaiden a quick glance, just to be sure. Then he returned to observe Arthur. Although there were probably many adequate reasons, Uther found him unable to find an explanation in his mind as to why Arthur had wrapped the woman's cloak around his waist. Also, the young prince was also devoid of any footwear, which only heightened the fact that there was nothing beneath the cloak around his waist.

Arthur flexed his jaw, as if trying to find words to say but found he was failing. His whole body had tensed up and he reached up and scratched at an irritation on his neck, an irritation in the form of a length of rope. He was doing anything to avert his gaze from his father.

"If I may, milord," Arthur requested awkwardly. "I would rather return to my chambers and dress more suitably."

At his request, Morgana shuddered and snorted quietly. She quickly raised a hand to cover the smile that had finally plastered itself across her face. Her eyes scrunched up, and her face was creased with several laughter lines, as she tried desperately not to laugh. She had even reverted to not even breathing, and her efforts were making her red in the face.

Gwen's blush had also deepened, and her face was hidden behind her hands. She had turned completely turned away from Arthur, her eyes also closed. The poor girl looked as if she was about to die from embarrassment.

Even Merlin was trembling as he tried not to disgrace his master, and humiliate his friend, by laughing. For one point, he didn't need to: Arthur was doing a fine job of that on his own. But, try as he might, Merlin couldn't stop himself from bowing his head or cringing.

Unable to think of a comment, and somewhat worried about what would happen if he did comment, Uther merely nodded. He managed not to gawk at his son as the young man walked past him stiffly. He then saw, out of the corner of his eye, his son shivered as he strode towards the castle.

"Arthur," Morgana called to him, her voice muffled slightly from beneath her mouth.

Arthur stopped and quickly turned round, almost glaring at the woman. Unfazed, Morgana moved her hand to her shoulder. She motioned the pulling up a hood and mouthed the one word.

Arthur stood motionless for a moment, glaring at her with an intensity that shocked Uther. Then, he grabbed the hem of the hood and roughly pulled it over his head, once again obscuring his face.

No one spoke as the prince left the courtyard, followed closely by his manservant. Once he had disappeared from sight, Morgana curtsied and excused herself from the king's presence, Gwen followed her heels. She had almost made it out of the courtyard before she burst into uncontrollable laughter.

* * *

Arthur managed to maintain his princely demeanour until Merlin closed the doors of his chambers. At that point, he rounded on the poor warlock.

"Get this off me... now!" he demanded, pointing venomously at the rope around his neck.

"Yes Sire," Merlin responded, quickly reaching for the knife that lay on the table.

Quickly and efficiently, he cut the rope and took it away from the prince's neck, stepping back as he did so. When Arthur silently pointed to the fire, Merlin obeyed the silent command. As the rope burned, Merlin silently waited for Arthur's temper got the better.

"_How_ could you let them put that on me?!" Arthur demanded in a hushed voice, tension laced every word.

"I..." Merlin quickly thought through the rest of the sentence before speaking. "I don't think they would have believed me if I'd told them you were who you are."

"I'm going to have to report this to my father," Arthur stated.

Merlin stared at Arthur in shock. He wouldn't deny that he was trembling in fear at his master's statement.

"Not about you, idiot," Arthur retorted. "By I have to explain the situation to him... if Morgana hasn't done so already," he finished on a quieter note.

Merlin decided that it was best to say nothing. Instead, he approached the prince's wardrobe, and opened it to search its contents. He quickly drew out a pair of Arthur's favourite leggings, a linen shirt and his red jacket. He brought the clothes to the prince, who snatched them from him. Merlin quickly turned around to find the prince a pair of socks and some boots.

He had no intention of seeing Arthur in full glory, especially since he'd already had that... experience, in fact... so had Gwen and Morgana. The prince didn't need any more humiliation than he'd already suffered.

"So..." Merlin wasn't sure if he wanted to know, but he felt that he had to ask. "How are you going to explain this to the king?" He was careful not to turn around at all.

Arthur paused momentarily as he was pulling on the leggings, but then quickly yanked them painfully up, ignoring the protests of a certain part of male anatomy. Then, with at least that part of him covered, he stopped to think.

"I have no idea," he admitted. "I'll probably tell him as much of the truth as possible."

"Missing the parts with me out?" Merlin asked hopefully.

"I promise. Besides, if you hadn't... done what you did, I'd still be in that... situation," Arthur assured his nervous friend. "Have you found me any socks and boots?"

"Are you...?" Merlin trailed of, not sure what he really wanted to ask.

"I'm decent enough," Arthur answered awkwardly.

Merlin spun round and passed the prince a pair of socks and boots. He looked over to the two cloaks that had been thrown unceremoniously onto the table. He dared a look to his master.

"Should I take those down to the washerwoman, get them cleaned for the Lady Morgana and Gwen?" He offered, hoping to be excused.

Arthur looked at him for a second, before nodding. Not giving the prince any chance to change his mind, Merlin grabbed the cloaks and ran out of the room. He quickly deposited the items into the washerwoman's care. When he left the washing room, he found himself staring into Gaius' calculating face.

"Gaius," Merlin greeted the physician.

"Merlin," Gaius replied politely. "Is there a reason the Prince of Camelot walked into the castle today, wearing nothing but Gwen's cloak around his waist and Morgana's cloak over his shoulders?"

"If I said anything, he'd kill me," Merlin warned.

"Then let's go to my chambers, and you can tell me in private," Gaius concluded.

Merlin had no choice but to follow the man. He didn't speak until they had reached Gaius' chambers. The physician closed and bolted the door before sitting down to join Merlin.

"Now," Gaius commanded. "Tell me everything."


	2. Gone

_7 days ago..._

Merlin walked beside Llamrai, Arthur's steed. The mare was a thoroughbred, but she was still young and fairly inexperienced. Arthur's previous horse had torn his legs to pieces trying to jump out of his paddock, and so a replacement had to be made. Merlin liked Llamrai. She was well tempered, and was not easily fret. And, most importantly to Merlin, she did not bite.

Arthur was in a bad mood. He and Merlin had been out for two days, hunting, and they hadn't found anything. One of the things that Arthur hated was returning to Camelot with nothing to show for his efforts. He had nothing to show his father, nothing to earn even the tiniest scrap of praise, or a morsel of a compliment.

It wasn't until Llamrai suddenly reared, whinnying in distress, that the boys realised that something was wrong.

A rustling in the nearby bushes grabbed the attention of the prince. Guessing that this was the cause of Llamrai's disquiet, he dismounted. He drew his sword and slowly advanced. At the call of his name, Arthur spared a glance back to Merlin.

"We don't know what it is," Merlin pleaded, he wanted to get back to Camelot. "It could be a bear, or something."

Arthur was about to scoff his servant's cowardice, but stopped himself. It was late autumn, and if it was a bear, then it was late in hibernating. That would mean it would be a very grouchy bear, very tough to bring down. But, that would also mean that it would be a greater prize to bring back to Camelot.

He had to admit that Merlin probably knew that the bear would be in a foul mood, and was merely being careful, if not a little protective. He allowed himself to feel grateful for his servant's concern, at least he cared.

"I'm just taking a look," he promised, reasoning that if it did attack him, then it meant he had no choice but to fight and kill it.

Merlin watched the prince wonder deeper into the undergrowth. Finally, realising that his master was being serious about investigating this creature, he sighed. He tied Llamrai's reins to a nearby branch and ran after Arthur. He silently prayed that the man's stupidity wasn't going to get them into trouble, again.

Arthur stopped and waited for Merlin to catch up with him. He felt a little more secure knowing that there was someone there to back him up, if there was trouble. But as he thought along those lines, he noticed that Merlin wasn't exactly in any state to back him up; he didn't even have a weapon. Also, a riled bear, if this was what it was, would most likely lash out. While he was more than happy to take a swipe, since it would mean more proof that he had killed a fighter, rather than a sleeping bear, Arthur wasn't sure if he wanted Merlin to get hurt if the bear made a pass at him.

But he'd come this far, and Merlin had followed him. Although he doubted Merlin would speak of this, he didn't want to be thought of as a coward for backing out of a tough fight.

Then, the creature moved out of the bushes, and Arthur felt more than a little disappointed. It wasn't a bear. It was a person, wearing a deep blue cloak that obscured the face. He could tell that this was a woman, since he couldn't imagine any man wearing a red dress that showed off a pair of thin legs.

But before he let that get to him, he paid attention to the warning that was silently screaming in his head. He knew this woman, but he could not, for the life of him, place the name, or the face.

"Who are you?" he demanded. "Show yourself, or I'll run you through," he threatened.

He knew that this was probably the best action in a forest. If it was a friend, like Morgana or Gwen, then it was quite easy enough to apologise, and he could rebuke them for sneaking around. If not, and he's encountered a foe, then the day could take a turn for the worst.

Merlin looked at the woman. He couldn't see her face, but he didn't need to. Her power was almost buzzing off her. And, whilst this could be awe-inspiring, it filled the young warlock with nothing but dread. With Arthur at his side, he was powerless.

_What will you do, Merlin?_ A foreign thought entered his brain, sending chills down his spine. _Will you protect yourself and reveal what you are, or will you do nothing and watch him die?_

Finally, the woman lowered her hood, revealing long dark hair that framed a pale face with shocking blue eyes. The boys felt their bodies go cold as they recognised the woman. They'd walked straight to Nimueh.

Arthur had never felt like such a fool. Merlin had told him that neither of them knew what the creature was, and he had been an idiot and disregarded his friend. He knew that they were no match for the sorceress, but he was determined not to let Merlin suffer for his idiocy.

"Merlin…" he whispered out of the corner of his mouth. "Get to Llamrai, and get out of here."

"Arthur!" Merlin protested, instantly knowing what the prince had planned.

"Don't argue with me. Get back to Camelot, and get help," Arthur ordered.

Merlin stared at Nimueh, glaring at her amused face. Then he conceded, and began to step backwards, back to the horse. But as soon as Nimueh moved, he froze.

"Will you not ask me- no! beg me- to spare your life, Prince Arthur?" she jeered.

"I do not beg, especially to a sorceress," Arthur spat.

"No?" Nimueh smiled, her eyes turning to focus on Merlin. "Then would you beg me to spare him?"

Before either of them could move or speak, Merlin found himself landing flat on his face. And, as he tried to stand, weeds and roots snaked over him, first covering his legs so that he was unable to stand. As he became more covered and engulfed by the flora, Merlin realised that breathing was becoming a difficulty.

Arthur stared in horror as the undergrowth was quickly crushing Merlin's body into the ground. The outstretched hand of his friend was desperately clawing at the earth, futilely trying to do anything. The tendons in Merlin's hands were visible as the poor man strained to save himself.

Arthur turned back to Nimueh, her face smug, and gloating.

"Will you not beg me to spare him? Will you not get down on your knees and beg?" she asked

"Arthur... don't..." Merlin gasped.

While he did not want to die like this, Merlin refused to let Arthur subject himself to this. But, at the rate the weeds were constricting his body; it wouldn't matter for much longer. He could already see his vision darkening and blurring. His thoughts were fuzzy and he only just registered that his extremities had gone numb. He didn't have the strength left to even try to fight, his outstretched hand merely twitched.

Arthur watched, dismayed, as Merlin's body gave up. Knowing that it was the only chance of saving his friend, he faced Nimueh. It took a moment for him to beat down his pride, and then he knelt before the sorceress.

"Spare him..." Arthur pleaded, realising what words she wanted him to utter. "I beg you."

A violent gasp and frantic coughing made Arthur sigh in relief. He hazarded a glance behind him. He felt a small amount of elation as he saw the roots relax around Merlin, allowing him the space to breathe.

The younger man looked at Arthur, his lips were tinged blue and his skin was disturbingly pallid. While gratitude was evident in the servant, Arthur could also see shame and another emotion that icily gripped the prince's heart: disappointment. Merlin was disappointed with him, obviously thinking that a prince should never have to beg. He instantly rebuked himself. His father would think that, not Merlin. Merlin was never disappointed in Arthur; it was one of Arthur's most favoured qualities in the man. He reasoned that Merlin was disappointed in himself, for being unable to do anything, for be so helpless, useless.

Arthur redirected his eyes to Nimueh, without moving his head. He could see that she was a lot closer now. He glanced down to his sword, resting by his side. He slowly inhaled, steeling himself for the dumbest thought that had ever taken his fancy.

Nimueh jumped back in surprise as Arthur suddenly sprang up. He unsheathed his sword as he advanced on her. This was all in one movement, and he made no inclination to slow himself, and she was not prepared to defend herself. As she focused on avoiding the frantic prince's slashes, she was once again caught off guard when a small object entered her peripheral vision, which she flinched at.

Arthur spun round to see what was also attacking the sorceress. He saw Merlin tearing the remnants of roots around his ankles with one hand, whilst in the other had small stones, fallen chestnuts and anything else the man had found to use as a weapon. Finally, he had freed his ankles.

"Let's get out-" Merlin cried before being cut off.

He stopped as a fireball struck him on his right shoulder, flaring upon impact. Merlin fell back from force. All projectiles, which he had been holding, fell harmlessly from his limp hand. It took a moment for the flames to dissipate, and once they had, the damage was revealed.

Arthur's stomach turned as he saw the burns on his friend's chest, shoulder and face, although on second inspection, they were not as bad as first thought. Though his skin was red and was showing signs of blistering, it didn't look like it was going to worsen any more than that. But Merlin was severely weakened from his imprisonment beneath the roots and weeds, and did not appear to be conscious anymore.

Suddenly, a foot made contact with Arthur's back, sending him sprawling. His sword landed a small distance in front of him. Arthur pushed up, with the thought of scrambling to it, but was pushed back down by that same foot.

He stretched his head upwards, to stare hatefully into the eyes of Nimueh. She was also gazing spitefully at him, all pretence of playfulness had left her face. She had allowed the game to run its course, and it had run away from her. Now she was going to finish this encounter.

"It's time to learn how to show proper respect to people, Arthur Pendragon," she stated viciously. "Chyfnewid hon hun at chi!"

As soon as she had spoken, a light appeared around Arthur. It was a blinding white, and Arthur instinctively buried his head in one of his arms and scrunched his eyes tightly shut. But he couldn't escape the tingling feeling that was coursing through his entire body.

* * *

It was dusk by the time Merlin regained consciousness. At first, only a dull throbbing registered in the wiped out warlock's mind. The throbbing slowly became a more distinct pain. He winced when he finally felt what seemed like thousands of sharp needles were digging into his shoulder and face.

As Merlin became aware of the pain, he also became aware of where he was, what had happened, and then, at long last, came the terrifying sensation that gripped and froze his heart. Only one thought was in his head: Where is Arthur?

Merlin propped himself up, before hissing as he collapsed. His right arm didn't want to work for him; it was more interested in sending pain signals to the poor man. Merlin ignored the pain, and propped himself up using only his left arm and hand. He scrunched his face in pain as his right shoulder and the right side of his face began to sting furiously, but continued to sit up.

With that small feat accomplished, he kept himself propped up with his left arm locked behind him as he looked around the ever darkening woodland. There was nothing about him, nothing to indicate a fight or a struggle. It was then he saw something.

He struggled to his feet, and ran over to the object. Upon examination, he discovered that it was Arthur's sword, and it was fairly deep in the soil. Arthur had never left the thing, unless he was nearby. Merlin looked around hopefully.

"Arthur?" he called, but for some reason, he knew that it was a futile attempt.

He was not surprised when he received no response. He turned his head, hearing a horse whickering, but realised that it was Llamrai. From what he knew of Arthur, Merlin was certain that the prince wouldn't just leave his sword, his horse, or his servant/friend alone or behind. It was clear that the prince wasn't here, and was probably with Nimueh.

Merlin turned back to sword, to pull it out and return to Camelot, to report what had happened. He gripped it, when a piece of red caught his eye. Not far from the sword was a red cloak, with the Pendragon emblem on it. Beneath the cloak was chainmail, leggings, a shirt, and a pair of boots. Merlin realised with a shock that he was staring at Arthur's clothes, and his clothes were devoid of the prince.

Merlin stared at the clothes dumbfounded. He could not believe what he was seeing. He could not believe what he was thinking... and yet he was thinking it. Had Nimueh... completely obliterated Arthur? Destroyed him so utterly that there was no trace of him left?

Merlin carefully collected Arthur's clothes and yanked the sword out of the earth. He trudged back to Llamrai, who seemed disgruntled at apparently being forgotten. He ignored her touchiness, and stored Arthur's belongings in her saddlebag. Once sure that it was secure, he untied her reins and walked in the direction, although it would have been quicker to mount the mare.

Llamrai was slightly disturbed by the appearance of her handler, but recognised his scent, and followed without hesitation. However, she did wonder about her rider and the reasons to why he was not with them. Regardless, she knew her handler, and she knew that he was right in what he did, and she placed her trust in him handling the situation.

* * *

By the time he reached Camelot, Merlin looked a mess: his shirt had a gaping burn hole on the right shoulder; there were burns across his chest, shoulder and face, some of his hair looked singed as well; his right eye looked slightly clouded and he was missing some eyelashes, not to mention some of his eyebrow; and his face was vacant of any expression apart from pain.

He left Llamrai at the royal stables, relieving her of the saddle bag. He didn't notice the stable boy who wondered out and called to him, saying something about putting the horse back.

Every step was agony, it stretched the burns on his body and he could feel some of the skin ripping, peeling. But he refused to think about himself; his one and only thought was seeing Uther.

Servants would step back and allow him space. They would stare at him in shock once he had walked past, all aghast at the horrific sight. He had been in Camelot long enough for all the servants to know who he was and who his master was. In his wake were shocked whisperings, all theorising how he had been harmed, and all voicing worry for his master.

* * *

Uther lowered his goblet from his lips, wondering what could be so important that the doors would be opened mid-feast. He had been in the middle of a conversation with a noble who had already had too much to drink.

When he saw a young man stagger in, covered in blood and burns, he set the goblet down and straightened up to take the youth's appearance in completely. For some reason, he felt that the man was familiar, somehow.

A sudden gasp to his left grabbed his attention. It had come from his ward's handmaiden, who had raised her hands to her face to hide her shocked expression. Morgana seemed equally disturbed, as she also raised a hand to her mouth.

It wasn't until the young man had walked the entire length of the Great Hall, and stood before the royal table that Uther realised who he was. It was Merlin, his son's manservant. Upon this realisation, the king couldn't help but feel concerned. The manservant had arrived, but where was his son?

Merlin was vaguely aware of Gaius coming to stand beside him, but all he could focus on was reaching the king. He had to tell him of what happened in the woods; he had to show him all that he'd found, and persuade him that he had looked hard.

"Sire... I have to speak to you," he stated, panting.

The Hall had fallen deathly silent, all those at the feast were horror-stricken at the sight of Merlin, who looked like he'd just walked off a battlefield. Uther was certain that Merlin was about to collapse from pain, and was astounded that he hadn't felled yet. In fact, he had to admire the determination Merlin had shown by making it this far. He knew of very few knights who could have achieved such a feat.

"What is it?" he asked gently, respecting all the pain the manservant had endured. "What's happened?"

"Arthur..." Merlin gasped, shuddering as he struggled to keep his thoughts focused. "Sorceress... I looked, I looked everywhere," he stared up at Uther desperately. "I... I couldn't find him, only," he turned and looked down at the saddlebag that he had practically dragged to the Great Hall. As he reached for the bag that was lying on the floor, a dark hand reached down and picked it up first.

Gwen had quietly joined Merlin's side. She had been careful not to touch him as she feared the extent of the burns that lay beneath his shirt. She looked at the saddle bag apprehensively, wondering what could be contained inside it. As she placed the bag on the table, she realised that it was compressible and could feel some kind of metal inside.

As the bag was opened, Uther found that he was staring at cloth. It wasn't until he noticed the Pendragon emblem on the largest piece of red cloth that he understood what he was handling. He observed the items, and saw a shirt, cloak, a pair of leggings, a pair of boots and chain mail. His stomach clenched as he recognised the size of the clothes was that of his son, Arthur.

He returned his gaze to Merlin, whose eyes had glazed over completely in pain, though it was obvious that the young man was not completely overrun yet.

"I didn't… didn't know what else to do," Merlin pleaded, gasping as he fought the pain. "I couldn't find him… didn't know what to do… couldn't find him…"

"Do you know who this sorcerer was?" Uther asked, hardly daring to breathe.

"Not a sorcerer... a sorceress... Nimueh," Merlin mumbled, trying to remain lucid. "It was Nimueh."

Uther felt his whole world shatter at that one name: Nimueh. The sorceress that had brought Arthur into existence at the cost of Igraine's life. Had she taken that life away? He suddenly felt desperate to know what had happened.

Gaius looked over Arthur's clothes.

"Sire," he spoke softly, breaking through Uther's paralysis. "I do not believe Arthur has been seriously harmed. If you'll look, Sire," he gestured to the clothes and then to Merlin. "If he had been harmed, then it would have damaged his clothes. But they are completely intact."

Uther could understand Gaius' point. If Arthur had been hurt or killed, then his clothes would have been damaged along with him. But he was unsure as to what was meant by his clothes lacking their owner.

Uther looked in awe at Merlin's spirit, even if tears were now flowing freely down his face. He had not seen this amount of dedication to duty for a long time. He showed a comforting smile to the manservant.

"You've done well, Merlin," he praised, as Gwen lightly laid her hand on the man's back.

Merlin suddenly scrunched his face in pain. Unable to catch himself this time, he yelped out whilst recoiling from the woman's touch. His whole body trembled.

Gaius gently reached out to pull back Merlin's shirt collar, revealing lines of bruises and blisters that traversed his entire back. He found that he could not stop his face falling as he saw his ward's condition. He turned gravely to the king.

"Sire, I need to tend to Merlin's injuries," he stated.

"Of course," Uther agreed. "If you require any aid, merely ask," he assured the physician. "Let me know the moment he is able to recount the events," Uther ordered.

Merlin heard no more of the conversation, as he finally gave in to the pain, and allowed the comforting darkness to take a hold of him. He was only vaguely aware of someone holding his arms as he felt himself fall.


	3. Dog

Author's note: Just so everyone knows, the main bulk of this story is running up to the prologue. In other words, I've told you the end before telling the story. I hope that clears everything^_^

* * *

Gaius gently laid Merlin down on the bed in his chambers. Gwen was hovering uncertainly nearby. Gaius took a knife from the table and handed it to Gwen, turning to the fire where water was currently warming.

"I need you to cut that shirt off him," he instructed. "Don't worry about preserving it; it's too ruined to be anything but rags."

Gwen started and then approached her unconscious friend. Seeing him made her want to flee and retch, but was determined not to be so disgraceful to him. Then, tenderly, carefully, she brought the knife to him and cut his shirt down his torso. There, she could see the lines of bruises and blisters would suddenly cut off, leaving his stomach untouched, unharmed.

Gaius suddenly appeared with a towel. He began cleaning Merlin's burns, ignoring his ward's moans of pain. He turned to Gwen.

"Could you get some more water?" he asked, his tone gentler than when he had first spoken to her.

Gwen nodded and took the bucket in her hands. Once out of Gaius' study, she practically ran to the pump. She slammed the bucket onto the well and pulled the pump handle with all her might. The water splattered out, the bucket quickly began to fill.

"Uff!"

Gwen stopped, frowning. She turned around to see who was there. No one. She scoured the whole area, but there was no one there. She shook her head and returned her focus to the pump.

"Uff!"

She snapped her head round this time, but still found the courtyard deserted. She was about to return to the pump, when she inadvertently looked down.

It was a dog. It had a fine, golden yellow coat and stone grey eyes. Its square-shaped head probably reached up to her knees, and it had a black nose and a long flowing tail. And, it was watching her. The dog cocked its head to one side, quietly whining.

"Uff!" it huffed.

Gwen looked at the pump, then back down to the dog. She sighed, annoyed at such a trivial hold up. She scooped some of water in the bucket into the small bowl that was always left at the well, and set it down for the dog.

The animal watched her and then slowly approached and began lapping at the water.

Pleased to have that situation sorted out, Gwen returned to the pump. She looked down to see the dog raise its head to watch her, licking its muzzle. It sat down and watched her, cocking its head and perking up its ears once it saw it had her attention.

"What do you want?" she asked venomously, annoyed with the mutt. "I have to get this water to a friend of mine. He's been attacked by a sorceress and he's seriously injured," she explained, despite knowing that the dog wouldn't understand her. It just made her feel better to have something to express her feelings to.

At this, the dog ran off. She watched it run off into the town, before shaking her head and picking up the bucket. She made her way speedily back to Gaius' study.

Gaius did not turn his head when she re-entered. His attention was focused on treating Merlin's burns. He had already rubbed a salve onto the man's chest, shoulder and face, and was proceeding to wrap the injuries in linen. His wizened hands worked deftly, but gently. All the while, he was watching every miniscule reaction of his ward.

Gwen shook herself from her observations, and brought the bucket to Gaius. She was about to ask him for instructions, when he turned his head to her.

"Could you keep him cool? After all he's gone through, I don't want him to lose to fever," Gaius explained quietly, tiredly.

Gwen nodded affirmatively, moving to the other side of Merlin. She sat down next to him, and reached for a remnant of Merlin's shirt, a piece that wasn't charred or covered in blood. She wrung it of excess water and laid it tenderly over her friend's forehead.

Merlin's eyes twitched slightly when the cloth touched him, but he quickly relaxed. He seemed comforted when Gwen softly stroked his head, running her fingers through his raven-black hair.

"He's going to need his hair cut," she stated quietly, looking over to the substantially shorter lengths on the right side of Merlin's head.

Gaius looked to his hair as well and breathed out a silent laugh, a small smile appeared on the edge of his mouth. He obviously thought the same thing as well, but if he had an opinion, he did not voice it. Instead he returned to his work, dressing the burns.

"Are those... going to scar him?" Gwen asked, almost fearful of the answer.

"They're only second degree burns, Gwen," Gaius comforted her. "It'll be painful for a while, I admit. But, the redness will fade and the blisters will go down. His skin might be a bit tougher, but there won't be any scarring," he assured, to which she smiled.

"I'd hate to see Merlin hurt like that," she whispered, thinking of the sorcerer who had tried to kill Uther, Edwin.

Gaius looked at Gwen as she stared blankly in front of her, before turning her gaze to Merlin. She was affectionately toying with his hair, gently pulling it away from his head so it would run through her fingers.

* * *

The night passed and it was mid-morning before Merlin woke up. He was quite content to fall asleep again, but he could feel his cheek pulling uncomfortably at him. He had intended to rub it and then fall asleep again, until someone took his hand. That someone had very soft hands.

"It'll hurt if you touch that," came a caring voice, which Merlin instantly recognised.

Merlin smiled slightly and forced his eyes to open a crack. Sure enough, Gwen was looking back at him, a small, relieved smile played on her lips. After a little more effort, Merlin had managed to open his eyes fully, but they felt heavy to him. Movement in the corner of his eye made Merlin turn his head to look over to Gaius.

"Gwen," Gaius addressed the woman. "Could you inform Uther that Merlin is awake? But tell him that we don't know for how long."

Gwen looked like she was going to argue, but thought better of it and, after one last look to Merlin, she left.

When Gwen had closed the door, Gaius sat beside his ward. Beneath his gaze, the young man blanched. Gaius knew that this was unfair, but he still had to make sure that Merlin was apprised of the situation.

"Uther wants a word with you," he informed. "You returned to Camelot last night, covered in burns and blood... without Arthur. How much of last night is lost beneath that shroud of pain you were obviously under?"

"I don't remember getting back here," Merlin admitted.

"Then you don't remember what you said to Uther before you collapsed?"

Merlin's eyes widen slightly in fear and shock. Then, he blinked and shook his head, wincing as he stretched his burns. He opened his eyes as he heard Gaius sigh.

"You told him that you and Arthur had a confrontation with Nimueh, and you used her name –which I might add you are not suppose to know- and that Arthur was gone," Gaius explained.

"That's it?" Merlin asked groggily.

"Yes, and I wouldn't expect Uther to smile and be gracious to you like he was last night," Gaius warned.

"Uther... smiled at me?" Merlin asked incredulously.

Gaius opened his mouth to speak, but he abruptly turned his head towards the door. He stiffened slightly, as a person entered the room. He glanced down at Merlin, before leaving the young man's side to speak to the newcomer.

"He's still quite groggy, Sire," Gaius explained. "You will need to be patient with him."

"I understand, Gaius," Uther's voice penetrated Merlin's ears. "But I insist on seeing him."

"Only if I allow it," Gaius countered. "Merlin has been through a lot... it would be unfair to put him through such stress again before I am sure that he won't suffer from it."

Merlin resisted the urge to smile. Although Gaius standing up to Uther wasn't anything new to him, it was something for Gaius to be standing against the king for him.

"Gaius..." he whispered, his throat feeling exceptionally dry. "I want to speak to the king."

Gaius returned to Merlin's side, his piercing eyes judging his ward's decision. When he found himself being stared at by pure sincerity, the physician knew he had no choice but to accept Merlin's choice.

"You sound hoarse," Gaius noted. "I'll see about getting you something to drink."

"I can get him some water from the pump," Gwen's voice offered, piping up from beyond Merlin's vision.

Then the door opened and closed, indicating that Gwen had left. Merlin knew he had to speak to Uther, besides, he'd said that he wanted to. Struggling slightly, Merlin propped himself up and finally managed to arrange himself into a sitting position, with his legs crossed on the bed. He was strongly reminded of when he used to sit like this when he was a boy, he was usually telling his mother that he accidentally burnt down the old man's crop field, or felled a tree into his house.

"What happened?" Uther asked, his voice cold and accusing.

Merlin thought through the events, making sure that he had the account correct in his head. Once he was certain of what happened, he retold the confrontation. He would pause occasionally, checking that he was remembering correctly. He altered it slightly, mentioning that Nimueh had introduced herself, assuming that he wasn't going to survive the encounter. Gwen eventually came back and gave him a cup of water, before retreating for Merlin to continue.

All the while, Uther said nothing, but listened intently. He tensed up when Merlin spoke of Arthur kneeling before Nimueh in order to save the manservant's life. Then when Merlin reached his reawakening, Uther slouched slightly.

"And, I looked everywhere, but all I could find was his clothes." Merlin summed up.

Uther looked down at the floor, his eyes glazed thoughtfully. He raised a hand subconsciously and rubbed his face, before resting his chin on his hand's palm, hiding his mouth behind his gloved fingers. He was still for a moment as he sifted through Merlin's account.

"Can you tell me where the two of you were when you encountered Nimueh?" he asked finally, pausing slightly when he said Nimueh's name.

"Arthur has a certain part of the forest that he prefers to hunt in… it's to the east from here, about half a mile away," Merlin replied, suddenly feeling very tired.

A part of him knew that any knights that Uther sent there, even if Uther went himself, they wouldn't find anything. He was certain that Arthur was gone from there, but he didn't know where the prince could be. Knowing this, Merlin kept his mouth closed.

Uther didn't speak, but instead stood up and left. Merlin could hear him barking orders to the guards, no doubt to assemble a search team to find his son. But there was a harshness behind his words, in his tone, that betrayed the king's true feelings. He was also of the opinion that Arthur was not going to be found, no matter how hard the search party looked.

Merlin sat there for a moment, before moving, under the impression of leaving the bed. However, he wasn't surprised when a hand rested on his shoulder, preventing him from getting up. Nor was he surprised when he looked up to find himself staring up at Gaius.

"And what do you think you're doing?" the physician asked, his eyes concerned and unimpressed.

"I can't stay in bed all day Gaius," Merlin protested. "It gives me too much time to think."

Gaius raised his eyebrows a fraction, understanding flooding the older man's face. But the moment was lost, and Gaius looked at his ward sadly.

"I don't want you to overexert yourself," he explained kindly, not wanting to force Merlin into staying in bed.

"I won't," Merlin promised, flashing a small smile. "If I start feeling rough, then I'll come straight back."

"I'll watch over him," Gwen assured, then realised what she'd just said. She turned to Merlin quickly. "No-not that you need anyone to watch over you. I mean… I was just… uh…" she stammered, feeling her face heat up.

"That's okay, Gwen," Merlin smiled, pitying the poor woman. "If nothing else, you'd be good company."

Gwen could still feel the heat in her face rise, and she was certain that her cheeks were now flushed. But she couldn't say a word, so instead she smiled nervously and nodded. Her mind was still reeling from her own poorly chosen words, so she missed the last thing Merlin had said. Had she been listening, she probably would have burst into flames.

Gaius, who had listened to the pair in silent amusement, knew when he was beaten. He stepped back so Merlin could stand up. He watched the pair depart his study, leaving him the peace and quiet to work on concocting some remedies and salves that he was beginning to run uncomfortably low of.

* * *

Merlin was very much aware of how terrible he looked. His chest, shoulder and the lower right half of his face was burnt and covered in linen bandages, and his back had lines of bruises from when the weeds and roots of the forest had tried to crush him under Nimueh's spell.

He had agreed to help Gwen with her daily shopping for her. She would wonder about the stalls and pay for the food, while Merlin had the easy task of holding the basket that had all her shopping in it. As time went on, the basket started getting a bit heavy, but Merlin didn't complain.

Gwen was walking a small distance in front of Merlin, and would almost always veer off in a direction that sent Merlin's head spinning as he followed her. It didn't bother him too much, but each episode of dizziness began to add up, and it took longer for him to clear his vision enough to keep up with her.

Gwen looked behind her and noticed the dazed look in Merlin's eyes. She had promised Gaius that she'd watch her friend, and she had been so caught up in shopping that she'd forgotten to keep an eye on Merlin. She suddenly felt very ill, guilt ripping her stomach apart.

It didn't help when Merlin's vision finally cleared and he merely smiled at her. It was obvious that she knew he wasn't keeping up with her, but he wasn't going to say anything. He was willing to suffer so that he didn't go back to Gaius and lay in bed, with nothing to do but think about his encounter with Nimueh, and the fact that Arthur wasn't present to boss him around.

"I'm sorry, Merlin," she apologised, though she knew what he would say to her.

"No, I'm alright, Gwen," he lied. "You're just going a bit fast, I can't keep up," he chuckled falsely.

After that, Gwen walked a lot slower, not wanting to further aggravate Merlin's condition. She spent more time at the stalls, even though she knew what she wanted, so that Merlin could catch his breath and clear his head. After a while, she noticed that Merlin was starting to look much better.

It was then that she saw something that made her smile.

"I think you've made a friend, Merlin," she noted, pointing behind his knees.

Merlin turned round and looked down. There was a dog behind him. He instantly recognised the breed. He'd seen one before when a noble had visited the castle. He'd hated the animal; it had been as pompous and as brash as its owner was. Even Arthur had been glad to see them leave.

But, this dog was different. It looked at Merlin with its strange grey eyes. It cocked its head to a side, its tail swaying slightly and slowly. Then it stretched its head out slightly.

"Uff."

Merlin blinked at the creature. Normally animals were cautious of him, which he attributed to the magic that flowed in his blood, to his ties to the old religion. But, this dog either didn't seem to be bothered by that, or it couldn't sense it. Very few animals didn't mind Merlin's connections, Llamrai, for example, and it was an absurd idea that the dog couldn't sense Merlin's magic.

"Uff!" the dog woofed louder.

Still unsure of what was wanted of him, Merlin knelt before the dog and looked at it, trying to calculate and understand what it wanted. The dog watched him with equal scrutiny, its tail still wagging small, slow wags.

Eventually, Merlin decided that this was probably just a stray, and he stood up. He waited for the blood to finish running from his head, then he turned and shrugged at Gwen. She shrugged at him in return, before the pair moved off.

The dog stopped moving its tail, watching them leave. It lowered its head slightly, it ears twitched backwards slightly.

"Uff."

Then the dog sprang forward and followed Gwen and Merlin in a slow trot. It stopped when they stopped at a stall. It would sit beside Merlin and raise a paw, trying to gain his attention. Once Merlin looked down and waved his hand before the dog, shooing it away. The dog backed off, but then returned to Merlin's side, still staring up at the man.

Then, it turned its head, and saw a man approaching the stall. The man was walking stiffly, as if something was restricting his movement. Whatever it was, something felt wrong about this man. The dog's fur began to bristle, and it growled in warning to the man. But the man didn't hear.

The man pushed past Merlin, sending the young man sprawling onto the ground. As Merlin hit the ground, his burns flared up in pain, and he couldn't prevent a yelp of pain escaping his lips.  
The dog instantly pulled back its lips, showing it incisors, and snarled at the man. Its ears as forward as possible, its back was arched and its fur was bristling. When the man took no notice of the animal, the dog barked once in warning.

Gwen turned at the commotion behind. The man grabbed her wrist.

"Your purse… now," the man demanded, still ignoring the barks of the dog, which were increasing in frequency.

As Gwen tried to pull away, the man pulled a knife. However, he had little time to do anything else. Suddenly, a golden furred head appeared and a muzzle full of sharp teeth clamped down on the man's wrist.

The man yelled in pain, dropping the knife and releasing Gwen. He turned his attention to the animal latched onto him. He tried to wrench his hand out of the dog's mouth, but the animal held fast, and in turn shook its head, sending pain up the man's arm. Finally, he clenched his fist and was about to hit the animal, when a punch made contact with him first.

The dog retained its hold on the man until a hand gently, but forcefully, patted its side. The dog then released the man and looked up to look at Merlin. It cocked its head, waiting for something. Then, Merlin grabbed the creature by the scruff of its neck and pulled it from the scene. The dog growled, not accustomed to such treatment, but followed regardless.

When Merlin, Gwen and the dog were out of the street, they relaxed. A few seconds later, castle guards appeared in the street, looking for the cause of the commotion. They were oblivious to the three as they separated, looking for culprits.

"Are you okay?" Merlin asked once the guards were gone.

"I'm fine," Gwen replied shakily. "What about you, are you alright?" she asked, looking at Merlin's bandages.

"A little sore," Merlin replied honestly, not missing Gwen's eyes.

They then turned to look at the dog, which was wagging its tail slowly. It would alternate who it was looking at. It was obvious that the dog was expecting something from them.

"Thank you," Gwen reached over and scratched behind the dog's ear.

The dog backed off, affronted at being touched. But it stayed with them, waiting, watching.

"I don't think it's a stray," Merlin mused. "For one thing, it looks too well fed to be a stray."

"A nobleman's then?" Gwen asked, looking at Merlin, wondering what he was thinking.

"Probably. It might have gotten lost while hunting… or maybe it ran off. Some dogs do that," he shrugged, wincing as he upset his burns.

"Maybe we should take it up to the castle?" Gwen offered, noticing the dog's tail had sped up.

"Maybe. But I don't think we should speak to Uther about this. He's got enough on his plate already, looking for Arthur and the like," Merlin pondered.

"Then we'll take him to Morgana," Gwen stated. "She's in the court often enough. She should know who the dog belongs to."

"If not, I'm sure she'll happily take him in," Merlin smiled, remembering the druid boy.

Gwen smiled, and then rose from the barrel she had been sitting on. She offered Merlin her hand to help him up from the ground, which he graciously took, using the wall as extra support. Gwen picked up the basket and they moved off. They were pleased to notice that the dog was obediently following, though they had given no command.

"Oh, and Merlin?"

"Hmm?"

"I think you should let Gaius take a look at those bandages when we get back," Gwen advised.

"After we see Morgana," Merlin promised.

* * *

Author's end note: Anyone guessed the dog's breed yet?


	4. Names

Author's Note: Happy New Year, and concerning this chapter... hehehe. I particularly like the ending.

* * *

Morgana watched Gwen and Merlin approach her. She wasn't sure if they knew about the creature that was following them, but if they didn't, then she wasn't going to spoil their bliss. She knew how energy-filled retrievers were, and she wasn't going to spook the creature and force them to chase after it. That was torture wrongly placed under the name of fun.

Morgana noticed that the dog was strutting proudly beside Merlin. It was obviously a nobleman's dog, but she wasn't sure as to its purpose. It could have been a hunting dog, like the ones that Uther kept, or a family pet. It was certainly well fed and its shining coat showed that it was also a very healthy animal.

Morgana smiled at Gwen and Merlin when they were close enough. They both smiled in return then looked down at the dog. The animal looked up at them; ears perked up hopefully and tail wagging swiftly.

"Err... milady," Gwen asked hesitantly. "We found this dog in the market, or well, more like it found us and erm..."

"We were wondering if you know of any noblemen who have lost a dog," Merlin summed up.

Morgana looked at them, and couldn't believe that the dog was all they wanted to talk to her about. But one glance at the dog and all annoyance at the two servants dissipated immediately; it did look a little lost, after all. Besides, if not Merlin, Morgana knew that Gwen was soft at heart. She knelt gracefully before the dog and held out her hand with her palm down, her fingers closed to a loose fist. She waited patiently for the dog to come to her.

After stretching its head out slightly, the animal quickly obliged, attentively sniffing her hand before backing up to Merlin. It looked up at the man, as if asking for instructions or support. Its tail moved quicker when Merlin glanced at it.

"He seems to like you, Merlin," Morgana commented as she stood up, noticing Gwen's puzzled face.

But Gwen didn't speak. To her, dogs were all the same. She had no idea how anyone could tell the difference between dogs, unless they were different breeds.

"Well, do you know anyone?" Merlin asked again.

"No, I don't," Morgana admitted. "But that doesn't mean that there isn't someone looking for him. I could ask Uther."

"Well, we didn't want to bother him, since he's looking for Arthur," Merlin stated quickly, missing the dog's tail speed up slightly.

"The fact is, Merlin, as much as I hate to say it; Uther will be bothered by servants, no matter what they need to talk to him about. Me, on the other hand, I can talk to him about anything," Morgana grimaced.

Merlin nodded understandingly. He winced as his burnt skin stretched; painfully reminding him that he needed Gaius to look at his injuries. He smiled sadly before bowing respectfully to Morgana. He spared Gwen a quick inclination of the head and then departed from their company.

"Merlin," Morgana called from behind him.

Turning to see what she had to say, the young man saw Morgana trying not to laugh. Her hand covered her obvious smile. She pointed down to his feet.

Following her gaze, Merlin found himself to be staring at the dog, whose tail once again picked up speed. It had been about to follow him, and Merlin would have been completely oblivious until he reached Gaius' study.

"Uff!" the dog sneezed.

Merlin stared at the dog, wondering what he could possible do to stop it from following him. The animal cocked its head to a side, confused by Merlin's hesitation.

"Just take the dog, Merlin," Morgana ordered gently, seeing him at a loss.

"I wonder what his name is," Gwen mused, then realised that she'd spoken aloud. "Eh, what I mean is, it would be easier if we knew his name."

"Why don't we just come up with one, until we find his master?" Merlin suggested.

"He might not respond to a name that isn't his own," Morgana warned. "And there are hundreds of different names out there. It could take forever to guess his name."

Merlin knelt down and looked at the dog, which turned and looked back at him. Merlin could quite easily see the stone grey eyes, which had a startling familiarity about them. And the golden fur colour... he knew it reminded him of someone.

"Obviously he's used to being the leader of the pack," Morgana stated. "The way he doesn't back down from your gaze... you'd almost think he was a prince."

Morgana smiled, then realised what she'd just said. She hoped with all her heart that she hadn't upset Merlin with such a thoughtless comment. The expression on Gwen's face spoke of the same concern.

But Merlin wasn't paying attention. He was more interested in the dog, as it had turned to Morgana, wagging its tail furiously. Merlin frowned in suspicion.

"Prince?" he ventured.

The dog returned its gaze to him, its ears had pricked up and its head was cocked to a side. The dog opened its mouth to reveal a smile, tongue lolling out to a side.

"That's your name, isn't it? Prince?" Merlin guessed, speaking to the dog.

"Uff!" the dog yipped.

"Wow," Gwen sated, awed. "How's that for a lucky guess?"

"Maybe... we shouldn't let Uther know about this," Morgana mused. "A dog with the name 'Prince' probably won't sit well with him at the moment."

Merlin looked to his two friends and then back down to Prince. The dog looked back at him unabashedly, almost challengingly.

Then, Merlin could feel his chest and shoulder aching, reminding him that he still hadn't seen Gaius. And so, realising that the visit should not be postponed any more, he stood up.

"I'd better get back to Gaius, have him look at the linen," he announced.

The girls nodded understandingly, and said nothing. Neither of them wanted Merlin in pain, and decided to let him leave without a fuss.

Without a word, Merlin turned and walked back to Gaius' study. He looked downwards, and saw that Prince was following him, but decided not to do anything. Besides, what should he care if a dog wanted to follow him?

Merlin bounded up the flight of stairs, eager to have Gaius look at him and then be back to work. Behind him, he could hear the clattering and scratching or claws on stone as the dog followed him. He wasn't sure why Prince had taken such an interest in him, but he had to admit that he enjoyed the creature's company.

Gaius looked up as his study door was opened and nearly knocked over his glass vials as he saw his ward walk in. The dog that was following him was only a second priority.

Merlin looked a mess. The linen had slipped and the burns beneath were looking irritated, dust covering the red skin.

"What happened?!" Gaius demanded as he escorted his ward to a chair.

"Gwen was attacked in the square-"

"-And you thought to help?" Gaius interrupted, raising an eyebrow.

"Actually, Prince rushed in to help," Merlin motioned to the dog, who perked up when being mentioned. "The man just pushed past me."

"And I suppose that push landed you on the market floor?" Gaius asked.

Merlin didn't answer, but he didn't have to. He merely had to look at his shoulder to know that the truth was in plain sight. So, he nodded.

Gaius sighed, and looked at his ward. Without speaking, he collected a bottle off his shelf. He dabbed the salve onto a clean cloth and applied it to Merlin's injuries. The salve was cool, but the young man didn't flinch or shiver under the physician's touch. With the burns redressed, he proceeded to change the linen.

"So, may I ask why that animal is in my study?" Gaius asked conversationally, peering down at the dog.

"Prince just seems to want to follow me," Merlin explained.

"Prince?" Gaius enquired, startled at the choice of name.

"It's the name he responds to," Merlin shrugged, careful not to ruin Gaius' work.

"Uff!" Prince barked, as if to validate Merlin's claim.

"Well..." Gaius began, looking somewhat uncomfortable. "I would advise you not to mention the dog's name in front of Uther. He might take it badly," Gaius warned.

"I guessed that," Merlin agreed, looking down at the dog. "That's why we spoke to Morgana."

"We?" Gaius frowned.

"Uh, Gwen and me," Merlin explained.

Gaius nodded, his expression thoughtful. He looked towards the dog, and he raised his eyebrows in surprise.

The dog's attention was solely on Merlin, even though the young man wasn't even watching him. Merlin didn't have any food on him, so Prince wasn't trying to gain a titbit. It seemed, to the physician, that the dog was trying to tell his ward something.

"It looks like someone wants your attention," Gaius motioned in the direction of the dog.

As Merlin looked down, the dog raised its head hopefully. Prince stretched his head forward, his black nose twitching.

"Uff!"

Merlin allowed his eyes to rake over the dog, taking in every aspect of the animal. All the time, he couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something familiar about Prince. So consumed with the feeling, Merlin almost didn't hear Gaius advise him to get some rest.

He turned to his uncle. He was motionless for a moment, before nodding his head. He stood up and made his way to his room. He could hear Prince's claws clicking on the wooden floor. He left the door open long enough for the dog to pass through. Merlin turned to the loose floorboards and pulled them out, revealing his book of sorcery, and many other strange things he had collected.

Prince took an immediate interest in the newfound hiding spot and all its treasures. He was instantly at Merlin's side, sniffing at the hole and the book. He backed up as Merlin stood up and sat on his bed.

"Uff!" he barked warningly.

Merlin looked over to the retriever. A determined look was in his eyes.

"Let's see if we can't find out what's so important for you to tell me..." Merlin murmured, turning his attention to his book.

Merlin scanned several pages, looking for the right spell. Finally, his finger traced across a spell that looked particularly promising. He shuffled on his bed, moving closer to Prince. He outstretched his right hand and laid it on the dog's head.

"Ah! Behave," he ordered as Prince moved to escape Merlin's hand.

"Uff!" Prince huffed, obviously unhappy with his treatment.

Merlin gave him a look that would have made Gaius proud. He felt happier as Prince settled down. With the pair of them in physical contact, Merlin checked and recited the spell.

"Areithiwn fel hun," Merlin whispered, enunciating the words carefully.

Merlin frowned. He was sure that he had pronounced the spell correctly, and yet... nothing had happened. He wasn't sure what was meant to happen, but he was certain that it would have been instantaneous. He looked over to Prince, who raised his eyebrow ridges in response, as if he was mocking Merlin's stupidity, his incompetence to perform a simple spell. Either that or the dog was telling Merlin that he'd known this wasn't going to work.

Merlin sighed dejectedly, and removed his hand from Prince's head. He watched the dog shake himself, before settling down and watching him once again. Merlin turned to the book and flicked through more pages.

Absentmindedly, he heard the dog growl.

"_What the hell are you trying to do, Merlin?! What is that book?! How long have you had it?!"_

Merlin froze at the sound of the voice, that very angry voice. He knew that voice very well, but could not ascertain its whereabouts. After all, the only living things in his room were him and the dog, Prince. It made absolutely no sense what so ever to be able to hear that voice, unless...

Merlin looked down at the dog. He could not dare to believe, and yet, he was daring.

"Prince?" he asked, holding his breath.

"_Prince?! I would have thought that you'd know me anywhere! Can no one see who I really am?!"_

"Ar-Arthur?" Merlin stammered, his eyes wide open.

At that precise moment, the dog leapt up from the floor, landed on Merlin's bed and effectively pinned him down. Amidst all the confusion, Merlin could her barking and fragments of words, all resonating surprise and pent-up frustration.

"Get off me!" he demanded eventually, unable to tolerate the din.

"_What did you do? Merlin! Are you..."_ the dog quietened down. _"Are you a sorcerer?"_

"No, I'm a warlock. Are you Arthur Pendragon?" Merlin countered.

"_Of course I am, idiot!"_ the dog, Arthur, retorted_ witch transformed me into this! I don't care how you do it, Merlin, but undo this!"_

"What do you expect me to do?" Merlin asked angrily.

"_You're a sorcerer aren't you?!" _Arthur replied.

"I'm a warlock, and I haven't really learnt everything there is about magic. Nimueh has had decades to learn, and I've only learnt for-"

"_Nimueh?"_

"The sorceress," Merlin explained. "She's the one we encountered yesterday."

It suddenly struck Merlin how bizarre time had acted. It had only been one day since he had almost been crushed by the roots and burnt by Nimueh's spells. It had only been one day since he had woken up to find nothing of his master and prince except his clothes. To Merlin, it seemed like it had been a hundred days.

"_How is it you knew her name?" _asked Arthur suspiciously.

"I've... met her before. She not a friend, I can tell you," Merlin assured.

"_Okay... so how are you going to sort out this mess?"_

There was a gentle knocking at the door, which prevented Merlin from replying. Arthur growled quietly.

"_It's Gwen. Hide that damn book!"_

Merlin hastily shoved the book under his blanket. He then rose to his feet, unceremoniously pushing Arthur off the bed as well. He ignored Arthur's surprised yelp and subsequent protests as he made for the door.

"Gwen! What are you doing here?" he asked innocently, though he had a nagging feeling that he knew what she wanted.

"Morgana spoke to Uther," she stated, confirming his feeling. "He doesn't know of anyone who's lost a dog, and couldn't care less at the moment."

"_Uther?! You speak of my father so disrespectfully when we're not around?!"_ Arthur yelled in Merlin's ears.

"Well, Arthur is missing, so that is his main priority," Merlin answered, trying not to flinch at Arthur's silent rage.

"I know. But he did say that Morgana could take care of Prince, until his owner is found," she mentioned cheerfully.

"_Owner?! I don't have an owner. I am the Crowned Prince of Camelot!"_ Arthur scorned.

"And, she wants him in her room," Gwen summed up.

Unknown to her, Arthur had suddenly gone very quiet. Merlin turned round to look at the golden retriever that somehow was his master. In his ears, he could hear Arthur, and the laughter. He then turned to Gwen.

"Sure, but can I ask something of you?" He queried.

"Of course," Gwen replied, a wary look in her eyes.

Merlin leaned in very close and whispered something in her ear. When he stepped, Gwen gave him a very confused look. But, one glance at his pleading face made her nod her head.

"Come on Prince," she called.

Arthur was at her heels in an instant. He stayed there as she wished Merlin goodnight and then proceed to Morgana's chambers. All the time, Arthur had his tailing swinging gleefully. When they arrived at Morgana's chambers, he was pleased to notice that she was still in daywear.

"Hello there, Prince," Morgana cooed.

Keeping up the act, Arthur padded forward and allowed her to stroke him a few times, licking her hands as she did so. After she scratched his ears, he shook her hands off. He watched her expectantly, eagerly waiting the next event.

"Well, I'd better get ready for bed," Morgana announced. "Gwen, could you help me?"

"Certainly, milady," Gwen stepped forward.

Arthur surreptitiously crept forward. However, he stopped as soon as Gwen stared at him. Playing dumb, he cocked his head to the side when she pointed at him.

"You: stay there," she commanded. "We don't want you ruining milady's dress."

"_Wha-? What?!" _Arthur stuttered, disbelieving what he'd just heard. _"Why would I want to ruin Morgana's dress? What would make you think that I..."_ he suddenly trailed off.

It suddenly occurred to him that Merlin had whispered a request to Gwen just before she brought him up. He had been so ecstatic at the possibilities that he hadn't been listening. But now, he had a fair idea what his manservant had requested.

"_MEERRLLIINN!!!"_


	5. Bath

Author's note: Hello! I know I've been gone for a while, but I'm back! (for now). This one took a while for several reasons: I got stuck, got bored And I found something else to interest me.

I hope you enjoy!

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_5 days ago..._

Merlin knew he was in trouble the moment he saw Arthur trotting beside Morgana. Gwen was out with some errand Morgana had given her, and the king's ward politely asked Merlin to exercise the dog, Prince. Albeit rather unwillingly, he had agreed to her request. As Merlin walked down to the exercise field, he waited for Arthur's scolding to begin.

"_I hope you're happy Merlin,"_ Arthur growled, as they entered the field. _"I ended up sleeping on a blanket in the corner of her room. All thanks to you!"_

"Morgana will thank me when you're turned back," Merlin muttered, unaware of Arthur's more sensitive hearing.

"_When I turn back, the first thing I'm going to do is place you in the stocks. What could be more humiliating than sleeping on a blanket?"_

"Getting exercised by a servant?" Merlin asked, fearfully wondering what evil he'd just caused himself.

"_Oh, there will be exercise, Merlin. I promise you. There will be exercise."_

And sure enough, Arthur grabbed the largest stick he could find and brought it to Merlin. The young warlock, with no desire to further aggravate the burns on his right shoulder, threw the stick with his left arm. This meant a lot of work, and taunting from the dog-prince for his 'girlish' throws. Within fifteen minutes, Merlin's arm was throbbing and his left shoulder and wrist were stinging.

As Arthur noticed this, he chose to start the second stage of his plan to torment Merlin. The retriever took the stick up to Merlin, but when the young warlock was about to take the object, Arthur then decided to bound off. Reluctantly, the manservant followed him. Arthur then proceeded to race across the field, wait for Merlin to catch up, and then repeat the process.

Finally, Merlin gave up. He allowed his legs to collapse and he threw himself, eagle-spread, across the ground. He happily lay there, watching the clouds sail past on the breeze. He ignored Arthur's insistent barks, ordering him to get up and continue the chase.

"_Come on, Merlin. You're not even trying,"_ Arthur barked.

"I am more than happy on the ground, Arthur," Merlin muttered, not caring if anyone was around to hear him. "Go run around on your own."

"Merlin?!" a concerned voice echoed over the field.

After turning slightly, the young man could see Gwen racing over to check if he was alright. It then occurred to him that, since Gwen couldn't understand Arthur, she must have assumed that 'Prince' was barking because he was hurt.

Gwen could barely contain her relief when she saw Merlin get up. He looked like he was positively exhausted, though. She glared accusingly at the golden dog beside him, who bounded off as soon as she had drawn near and Merlin had stood up.

"Hey Gwen," Merlin greeted her warmly, which she prayed didn't show on her cheeks.

"Hello Merlin. What a slave driver," she complained as she watched the dog wagging its tail several feet from them, barking incessantly.

Merlin's lips twitched into a tired smile, finding it funny how right she was. She could only hear Arthur barking; while Merlin heard the prince's demands to have someone dare to catch him, taunting both of them for being slow.

"Well, Morgana wants to take him around while she talks to the nobles. She thinks if they see him, they might recognise him and know his owner," Gwen explained.

"_If anyone thinks they're going to parade me around, they've got another thing coming!"_ Arthur's angry shouts were only comprehensible in Merlin's ears.

"Arthur please," Merlin begged the prince as he rubbed his face with his hand, making it look to Gwen like he was quietly groaning.

"It's going to be a nightmare trying to catch him," Gwen stated, picking up on Merlin's false groan. "One of the handlers told me that if you walk away, then the dog should follow to try and get your attention. We could give that a try."

"He won't fall for that," Merlin assured Gwen, then suddenly wondered how he was going to explain his statement.

"You're probably right," Gwen quietly agreed. "He didn't come close to you when you were on the ground."

"_Here's a deal, Merlin,"_ Arthur offered quietly. _"If you can actually sound like you can make a command, I'll come over."_

Merlin knew that Arthur was doing this to laugh at the warlock's pitiful attempts at authority. But since the offer had been made, it seemed foolish not to try.

"We could try calling him," Merlin suggested, shrugging his shoulders, only to wince afterwards.

"Prince. Come here, Prince," Gwen called.

Merlin bit his lip, so he didn't make a comment to Arthur. It seemed so unfair that Arthur was laughing at Gwen, since she didn't even know what was going on. Then, as he thought about how cruel it was for Arthur to mock Gwen's half-hearted attempt at authority, he suddenly felt quite angry at the dog-prince. He decided that someone needed to take him down a notch.

"Prince! Come here!" he all but shouted at Arthur, causing Gwen to jump beside him.

Arthur didn't move a muscle. His tail was no longer swaying from side to side, and his ears had tilted backwards. But, what was more amazing to Merlin was that Arthur wasn't speaking at all. He was completely stunned.

"Come here," Merlin ordered, but he did say it somewhat more softly this time.

It took a moment for Arthur's brain to kick itself back into gear. But, slowly and surely, he made his way over to the two servants. For some reason, he found that he could not raise his head, nor look at either of them. He was even finding it hard to look at Merlin's boots.

He had not expected Merlin to be able to make such a commanding tone, and it had shocked him. But there was something very unsettling about the tone, something which made Arthur unable to look at his manservant. That tone... had sounded so much like what he had often heard from his father. It was the tone that always made him feel like he was five years old and about to burst into tears.

Merlin knelt down as Arthur approached. Arthur lay down at his feet, his head on his paws. Cautiously, Merlin laid his hand on Arthur's head. They stayed like that for a moment, while Merlin overcame the guilt for upsetting Arthur so much.

"I'm sorry," Merlin whispered so quietly that Gwen was unable to hear.

"_I didn't think you could pull it off,"_ Arthur replied.

Merlin didn't say anything. Instead, he moved his hand and gently patted Arthur's side. At this, the prince raised his head, his ears and eyebrows perked slightly. Merlin flashed his typical goofy smile at Arthur, which caused Arthur's tail to start wagging.

With that, both Merlin and Arthur rose to their feet. Merlin turned to a stunned Gwen, who he had forgotten that he'd surprised. He flashed her an apologetic smile before they made their way back to the castle.

As they walked, Gwen quietly wrinkled her nose slightly and she looked down at the retriever suspiciously, catching Merlin's eyes as she did so. With a knowing look in his eyes, she could see that he was thinking the same thing, and was not speaking about it. As she noticed Morgana waiting for them, she realised that the fact could not be avoided.

Prince was going to need a bath.

Morgana had her hands behind her back when the trio finally stopped in front of her. She grimaced slightly and brought out a rope. It wasn't a particularly thick rope, but it wasn't going to snap any time soon.

"You would have thought that the kennels would have an extra collar and leash somewhere, wouldn't you?" Morgana asked rhetorically.

"_That is __**not**__ going around my neck!"_ Arthur protested instantly, backing up.

Anticipating such an action, Merlin grabbed Arthur. He wrapped his left arm around Arthur's middle, while his right hand clamped Arthur's jaw shut. He ignored the pain shooting across him as Arthur struggled to get free.

Taking the opportunity, Gwen and Morgana quickly tied the rope around Arthur's neck. They spoke calmingly towards the trashing retriever.

"It's only temporary until we get a proper collar and leash," Morgana explained.

Nothing anyone said placated Arthur. Seeing that he was going to be hostile, Gwen was sent by Morgana to fetch a muzzle from the kennels while she and Merlin kept him from biting anyone.

Only Merlin heard the profanities from Arthur and the promises that he was not going to bite anyone once he realised that they were going to put a muzzle on him. His rage increased steadily as Merlin continued to ignore his demands to be released.

Finally, Gwen returned with the muzzle.

"_No! Don't put that on me! Get that thing away! No!"_ Arthur shouted and protested, squirming and struggling to evade the muzzle.

Finally, everyone stood up. Arthur quietly growled threats of revenge as he tried to paw the muzzle off his face. He shook his head, shook his whole body, tugged violently at the rope and anything else that he could think of to get the muzzle or the rope off him. All was met with little success.

"Well," Morgana panted. "Now that we've got that sorted, I think we'd better give Prince a bath. He smells terrible."

"_What?!"_ Arthur shrieked, his voice several octaves higher. _"Kill me now,"_ he begged to no one in particular.

Merlin held onto the rope, tugging a reluctant Arthur towards a tub of water where Gwen and Morgana were waiting. He silently counted the number of reasons that Arthur had to put him in the stocks.

It was then that it occurred to him that, if Arthur did threaten to put him in the stocks, he could claim ignorance, like Gwen and Morgana. But, if Arthur told everyone that he was a warlock, then the stocks were the least of his problems. To avoid that possibility, all that had to happen was Arthur remaining a dog. But he wasn't sure if that was what he really wanted. And, to put it in the words of the dragon, it would prevent Arthur fulfilling his duty, and Merlin his destiny.

While Merlin was thinking about his predicament, Arthur was considering his own dilemma. While he had believed that he knew Merlin, he had been proven wrong in that regard last night. He was certain that Merlin was necessary in turning him back to a human, but he wasn't sure if Merlin could do it on his own, or not. He had always thought that Merlin was the most clumsy, yet loyal servant that he'd ever had. But, he couldn't help but wonder if Merlin and this... Nimueh were actually working together, conspiring against the kingdom.

Arthur's musing was swiftly cut short when water was thrown over him. He yelped in spite of himself and shook as much of the water off him. He looked up to glare at whoever had assaulted him.

"Sorry, Prince," Gwen cooed as the dog in front of her whined.

Merlin stayed as far away from Arthur as he could, holding onto the bucket and using his injuries as an excuse not to actually wash the creature in front of him and instead just pour the water. It felt almost wrong to watch Morgana and Gwen have fun. He didn't dare think about what would happen when Arthur was human again.

"_I... am never going to live this down,"_ Arthur cried pitifully to Merlin's understanding ears.

In spite of himself, Merlin smiled. He was sure that no one was going to forget this, even if they wanted to.

"_Hey!" _Arthur yelped as Morgana's hands started scrubbing a certain area.

"Ah! Behave," Morgana ordered. "We want you to be all nice and clean for the nobles."

Merlin closed his eyes and tried not to let tears of laughter fall down his face. It was just so wrong for Merlin, but then again, he knew who the dog really was... Gwen and Morgana didn't. It didn't help that Merlin could understand what everyone was saying.

Deciding to come to his prince's rescue, Merlin raised the bucket, which Morgana nodded to and backed away. Merlin quickly poured the contents over Arthur's head and back. He ignored the dog's rather loud complaints and vows of vengeance and refilled the bucket to pour over him again.

He had to admit though; Arthur certainly did look funny as a soaking wet dog.

"I think he's clean now, milady," Merlin stated.

"_Yes! I'm clean! I'm clean!_" Arthur barked frantically in agreement.

"Okay then," Morgana nodded. "Out you come, Prince."

Arthur did not need telling twice. He jumped out of the tub and got as far away from the heinous thing as the rope around his neck would let him. He then shook as hard as he could, sending spray out in all directions. He was quite happy to hear Morgana and Gwen yelp as they were drenched, though he was slightly disappointed to not hear such from Merlin. He must have missed his manservant.

"Prince," Morgana moaned. "Now I need to get changed."

"Would you like me to dry him, milady, while you get changed?" Merlin offered, hopeful that she'd take his suggestion.

"Are you sure you'll be okay with him, with your burns?" Morgana asked concernedly. "Gwen told me about the training field. I'm sorry, I... I really wasn't thinking when I asked you."

"No, no, I'm fine," Merlin assured her. "He's just got a lot of energy, that's all."

Morgana looked at him for a moment, trying to determine whether or not to agree with him. Eventually she sighed in resignation.

"Okay, Merlin. But, don't overdo yourself," she instructed kindly. "I don't want you to hurt yourself any further."

"Don't worry, milady," Merlin smiled. "I'll be fine."

With that, Morgana and Gwen left the manservant and his charge alone as they left to change into dry clothes. Merlin and Arthur watched them go, and when they were alone, Merlin tied his end of the rope to one of the rings that were embedded in the wall. He showed Arthur the towel.

"Now, do want to do this the normal way, or the quick way? And, you know what the quick way is," Merlin asked.

"_I'll take the quick way, thank you," _Arthur replied stiffly. _"I've had enough humiliation for one day."_

"Well, the day's not over yet, Arthur," Merlin reminded the prince. "Caleda 'i"

Arthur's fur was ruffled slightly by a non-existent breeze and was then dry. Arthur shook himself again, revelling in being dry and clean, and by trying to shake the feeling of magic off himself. He then looked at Merlin, who was dampening the towel in the bath water, before emptying the bath. Arthur glared at the object.

"_So, what are you going to do?"_ Arthur asked expectantly.

"Do?" Merlin repeated quizzically.

"_Yes, Merlin. What are you going to do to get me back into a human form?!"_ Arthur barked angrily. _"What sorcery are you going to do to put me back to normal?"_

"Well, actually Arthur," Merlin began, unsure of how much he could comfortably say.

Arthur's tail and ears dropped slightly. This was what he was afraid of: Merlin was going to tell him that he wasn't going to turn him back. Merlin was going to say that he would have to spend the rest of his life as a dog.

"The... the truth is, I've only been learning magic for a short time," Merlin admitted. "There's so much I don't know, I... I don't know how to turn you back. I don't know how Nimueh did it in the first place."

Arthur sunk to the ground, resting his head on his paws. His ears were flat and couldn't find the strength to do anything. Merlin didn't know how to help him.

"I'll look through my book, and I'll try to find a way, but I don't know how long it'll take," Merlin mentioned quietly. "But, I promise you. I will find a way. You will become human again."

Arthur raised his head from his paws and looked at Merlin. All he could see was pure sincerity in those blue eyes and Arthur perked his ears up.

"_Thanks Merlin," _Arthur murmured to his manservant, making the young warlock smile.

"Uh-oh," Merlin stated as his smile fell. "Morgana's back."

"_Oh joy,"_ Arthur stated sarcastically. _"Let the parade begin!"_


End file.
